Rail anchor applying machine



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Sept 13, W66 w. P. MCILRATH RAIL ANCHOR APPLYING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 30, 1965 INVENTOR.

p 13, 1966 w. p. MGILRATH 3,272,148

RAIL ANCHOR APPLYING MACHINE Filed July 50, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 105 66 65 .96 J30 3 l5 \I 19095 Sept. 13, 1966 W. P. MOILRATH 3,272,148

RAIL ANCHOR APPLYING momma Filed July 30, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 13, 1966 w. P. M ILRATH 3,272,148

RAIL ANCHOR APPLYING MACHINE Filed July 50, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

. WZYM, 754/ United States Patent 3,272,148 RAIL ANCHOR APPLYING MACHINE William P. Mcllrath, Racine, Wis., assiguor to Racine Hydraulics & Machinery, Inc., Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed July 30, 1963, Ser. No. 298,617 9 Claims. (Cl. 1042) This invention relates generally to the art of railway maintenance, and particularly to a machine for securing rail anchors to rails.

As is well known in the art, railroad rails are secured to ties, generally of wood, by plates and spikes. Such plates and spikes are insufficient to hold the rails against longitudinal creeping, due to longitudinal forces on the rails such as upon acceleration or deceleration of trains, and also upon thermal expansion and contraction. Accordingly, devices known as rail anchors are applied to the undersides of the rail flanges at longitudinally spaced positions abutting various of the ties. Preferably, the anchors are applied at predetermined intervals on the opposite sides of a single tie.

For many years, it has been customary to apply rail anchors by hand. Hand application of such rail anchors is a tedious and uncertain procedure, since the rail anchors must be driven into place by blows of a sledge hammer, and often slip while being so driven. A sledge hammer blow that is not aimed precisely, or that is directed against a rail anchor that is not properly positioned may send the rail anchor or some other part flying into the air, to the danger of those in the area. The cost of such hand labor also has become almost prohibitive.

Accordingly, it has been proposed heretofore to provide a machine for semi-automatically applying such rail anchors. One such extremely satisfactory machine is disclosed in application Serial No. 752,856, filed August 4, 1958, now Patent No. 3,117,530, for Rail Anchor Applicator by Harold G. Miller, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. The present invention is similar to the Miller machine, and presents improvements thereover as hereinafter set forth.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved machine for applying rail anchors to the rails of a railway track.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a machine which is more easily maintained.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a m-a-.

chine for applying rail anchors to rails which has more direct action.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rail anchor applicator machine capable of exerting greater forces on the anchors more precisely to position them.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved mounting means for the applicator of a rail anchor applying machine.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail side view particularly showing the applicator;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the applicator as taken substantially along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view generally similar to FIG. 3, but with parts broken away for clarity of illustration, and with the remaining parts shown in a different position of operation;

FIG. 5 is a detailed end view of the bottom portion of the applicator in one position of operation;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to a portion of "ice FIG. 5 showing cooperation with a rail and rail anchor;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIGS. 5 and 6 showing the parts in a different position of operation; and

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the rail anchor applicator as taken substantially along the line 8-8 in FIG. 7.

Referring now in greater particularity to the drawings, and first to FIG. 1, there will be seen usual railway track 30 comprising a pair of steel rails 32 mounted in parallel, spaced apart relation on a plurality of transversely disposed ties 34. In accordance with American railway practice, the ties 34 are conventionally made of wood, and are mounted in a ballast 36 (FIG. 2) of rock or the like. The rails are mounted on the ties by means of the usual plates 38 and spikes 40. In addition, rail anchors 42 are provided on opposite sides of certain of the ties.

The invention resides in the provision of an automotive machine 44 for automatically or semi-automatically applying the anchors. The machine 44 comprises a generally horizontal rectangular frame 46 having along one side thereof an upright frame member 48 of generally rectangular configuration, and including a horizontal portion 50 at the top thereof.

The machine 44 is provided with the usual type of railway wheels 52 at the four corners thereof, and at least some of the wheels may be provided with fenders 54. At least one of the wheels is driven, preferably by a hydraulic motor (not shown). Hydraulic pressure is provided by a small gasoline engine and pump unit 56. An operators seat 58 is provided facing the upright frame 48, and various hand controls 60 are provided for causing the machine to move to the front or to the rear, or to stop, and for operating the applicator as hereinafter set forth.

An anchor applicator 62 hereinafter to be described in detail is supported by two diverging diagonal lengths of chain 64 from a fitting 66 secured to a roller chain 68 in suspended relation therefrom. The chain 68- passes over a pulley (not shown) in a housing 70 on a horizontal member 50 of the upright frame 48, and passes diagonally downwards at 72 to a hydraulic piston and cylinder 74 pivotally connected at 76 to the adjacent fender 54, whereby to raise and lower the applicator 62.

The upright frame 48 is provided adjacent its opposite ends with a pair of diagonally disposed frame members 78 and 78a. Substantially horizontal support arms 80 and 80a extend obliquely toward one another and outwardly from the plane of the frame 48, being secured to the diagonal frame members 78 and 78a by means of bolt-inslot adjustable connections 82 and 82a. Substantially similar arms 84 and 84a are spaced below the arms 80 and 80a, being secured to bottom portions of the frame 48 by bolt-in-slot connections 86 and 86a.

V-shaped guide troughs 88 and 88a are bolted to the outer ends of the pairs of support arms 80, 84 and 80a, 84a, in vertical, spaced apart confronting relation for positioning and guiding the anchor applicator 62 as hereinafter will be apparent.

The applicator 62 comprises a pair of substantially identical nippers 90 and 90a, FIGS. 1-4. Each nipper comprises a pair of vertical side members 92 and 94 secured at their top ends by bolts 96 and 98 to a block 100. The bolts are threaded and are tapped into the block. At the bottom end, the side members 92 and 94 are connected by a through bolt 102 (FIGS. 3 and 4) having a nut thereon to a bottom block 104.

Studs 106 are threaded through the upper block and are locked in place by cam nuts 108. These studs serve as up-stops, as presently will appear.

Each nipper has on the outer side thereof a vertically disposed V-shaped guide means for slide 110 cooperatively interfitting with the respective guide 88 for moving the applicator 62 up and down in proper position. The apices of the V-shaped guide means or slides 110 are directed out away from one another, i.e., they are convex outwards. Conversely, the guides 88 are concave inwards, whereby the two guide means are complementary to one another. Each slide 110 is provided with an upper cross member 112 and a lower cross member 114 welded across the open face of the V-shaped cross section, 'whereby the bolts 96 and 102 hold each slide to the respective nipper. Holes are provided for clearance of the bolt heads, and the upper hole is identified by the numeral 116.

The hole 116 has a dual purpose. In addition to providing clearance for the head of the cross mounting bolt 96, it also provides for support of the applicator in traveling position. Thus, a pair of spaced brackets 118, 118a is provided on the horizontal frame member of the upright frame 48, and link chains 120, 120a having hooks 122, 122a thereon are provided with the hooks being received in the holes 116 for carrying the slides 110, and hence the entire applicator 62 in raised position, as shown in FIG. 1. When it is desired to lower the applicator, the applicator is first raised slightly by the hydraulic piston arrangement 74, at which time the hooks 1'22, 122a are manually removed from the corresponding holes.

Each nipper further includes a backup structure or lever 124 comprising a backup arm 126 and a stabilizing or reinforcing member 128 in parallel spaced relation thereto. The backup member reinforcing arm 128 is spaced from the arm 126 by means of spacer sleeves 130, 132 and 134 and by a spacer plate 136 at the bottom. The plate 136 is suitably secured, as by welding. The upper sleeve 130 is provided with a coaxial short extension 140 beyond the reinforcing arm 128, while the lower spacers 132 and 134 are respectively aligned with longer sleeves 142 and 144. The sleeves preferably have reduced diameter portions extending through the spacers and secured by nuts 138.

Reference is made to the left-most nipper 90 as viewed in FIG. 2, in connection with the short extension 140. A longer extension 140a is provided on the right nipper. A rod or stud 146 is fixed in the sleeve 130 and extension 140, a nut 138 being threaded on the end of the rod 146. As will be appreciated, the extension 140 may be a collar suitably pinned or otherwise secured to the rod 146 for this purpose. The rod is slidable in the spacer sleeve 138a and extension 140a, the latter two being held fixed relative to the backup structure 124a of the right nipper. Such fixing may be done by welding, or preferably the extension 140a may have a reduced diameter portion fitting through the sleeve spacer 130a, with a nut 138a threaded on the end of this reduced portion.

A pair of rods 148 and 150 is respectively slidable in the spacers 13-2, 134 and sleeves 142, 144. The rods 148 are fixed at their right ends by nuts 138a on the ends thereof, and by the short sleeves or collars 142a and 14411 suitably fixed to the rods. A cross head 152 is secured to the left ends of the rods 148 and 150 by means of nuts 154 and 156 threaded on the reduced ends thereof which protrude through the cross head. At the center of the cross head a piston rod 158 is similarly held by a nut 160. The piston rod is connected to a piston (not shown) in a hydraulic cylinder 1162, provided with hydraulic pressure lines 164 and 166 at the opposite ends thereof. The cylinder 1 62 thus comprises a double ended or double acting piston and cylinder arrangement, the right end of the pis-' ton being secured by means of an end plate 168 to the backup arm or lever 126.

Thus, the nippers are readily moved toward one another upon application of pressure through the line 166, or they are moved apart by application of pressure through the line 164. When the nippers move toward one another, slides 110, 110a simply move away from the guides 88, 880. Any tendency toward decentralization is readily overcome upon return, due to the inherent centralizing action of the triangular or wedgeshaped guides 88, 88a with the slides 110, 110a.

The backup lever or arm 124 is provided with a lateral projection 170 engageable with the side of the head or ball 4 172 of the rail 32. Additionally, the backup member lever arm is recessed at 174 to provide clearance adjacent the base 176 of the rail to accommodate the end of the rail anchor 42 as it is snapped into place.

A shoe 178 is bolted or welded to the side of the lever arm 124, and is provided at its lower corner with a shoulder or notch 179 designed to rest on and be supported by the adjacent portion of the rail base 176.

A transverse portion or arm 180 projects from the backup lever arm 124 into overlying relation with the head of the rail, whereby to coact with the notch 179 in supporting the nippers on the rail. The projection .180 is provided with a depending arm 182 lying in close proximity to the head 172 of the rail for proper positioning of the nippers.

A presser arm 184, consisting of a peripheral reinforcing rib 186, transverse ribs 188, and a web 190, is pivotally mounted at 192 on the depending arm 182 in opposition to the backup arm 124 and shoe 178. The presser arm 184 is provided with an inserted presser shoe 194 secured in place by suitable means, such as the bolts shown in FIG. 4.

A substantially upright cylinder 196 is pivotally mounted at its lower end on the :bolt or stud 102, and is provided with an extendable piston rod 198 having a head 200 thereon. This head is pivotally connected to a toggle 202 comprising arms 204 and 206 respectively pivoted at 208 and 210 to the upper ends of the backup lever arm 124 and the presser arm 184. Thus, when the piston rod 198 is extended, the upper ends of these two arms are forced apart, and the lower arms are urged toward one another, whereby the presser foot 194 is urged against the rail anchor 42 to snap it in place on the rail base 176. As noted heretofore, the stud 106 serves as an upstop, and is engageable by the head 200 to limit upward movement of the piston rod 198, and thus to avoid application of undesirably high pressure to the anchor 42.

Each depending arm 182 has an extension 210 bolted to the back side thereof and positioned to pass the adjacent rail flange, as may be seen in FIG. 3. Referring more particularly to FIG. 5, there is a rearward projection 212 on each depending extension 210, having a right angularly disposed outer end flange 213.

A rocker member 214 is pivoted on a stud 216 on the extension 210. A compression helical spring 218 encircling a guide pin 220 is compressed between the flange 213 and a pivotal connection 222 on the heel of the rocker member 214.

Considering the rocker member 214 as shown in FIG. 5, the rocker member will be seen to have at the lower right corner thereof a rounded nose 224. Upwards of the nose, and above the pivot 216, the rocker member is provided with a rounded heel 226, the pivotal connection 222 being on the left portion of the heel. Depending from the heel, and spaced to the left of the nose 224 is an extending arm 228 having a forwardly projecting toe 230, there being a notch 232 between the nose and the toe. There is a raised edge portion 234 on the toe. The spring 228 holds the rocker member in the position shown in FIG. 5 with a head or nut 236 on the elongated member or pin 220 serving as a limit.

When the applicator is lowered to rail engaging position, the nose 224 engages the base flange 176 of the rail 32, and pivots the rocker member in a counterclock- Wise direction, with the pivot 222, flange 213, and spring 218 passing through a dead center position, and snapping the toe 230 beneath the rail base flange 176 with the edge 234 engaging the underside of the flange, as shown in FIG. 7. As will be apparent, little or no cribbing or reremoval of ballast adjacent the tie is necessary for this operation.

As will be seen in FIG. 7, the rocker member nose extends a substantial distance under the rail base flange 176, nearly to the upstanding web 238 of the rail 32. Accordingly, a large area of abutment is provided against the side of the rail anchor 42, thus allowing the rail anchor to be pressed in tight against the side of the tie without tilting or canting of the anchor.

As readily may be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the illustrative anchor comprises a flat strap 240 underlying the base flange and having at the right end (as viewed in the drawings) an upstanding projection 242 which snaps into place behind the base flange. The strap 240 is provided with a re-entrant portion 244 at the left end, and a reinforcing web 246 extends entirely around the anchor.

It is believed that operation of the rail anchor applying machine should now be clear. The operator operates the controls 60 to cause the machine to travel along the track. Anchors are prepositioned by hand, and the machine is stopped in an appropriate location for applying the anchors. If the chains 120, 120a and hooks 122, 122a are in position for traveling, the piston 74 is actuated to raise the applicator 62, whereupon the hooks are manually released. The applicator is then lowered to the track, and rests thereon.

As will be understood from the immediately preceding portion of the specification, the rocker 214 engages the rail base flange and tips into position about the flange. The piston 162 then is operated to move the nippers 90 toward one another, whereby tightly to position the two anchors on opposite sides of a tie. As will be understood, the pressure between the two nippers is relative to one another, and the nippers are free to move some distance longitudinally of the rail, within the confines of the guides 110, 110a, due to the flexible suspension by the chains 64, 68. With the anchors tightly clamped against the sides of the tie, the cylinders 196, 196a are extended to move the presser foot 194, 194a against the corresponding anchor, and thereby to snap it on to the base flange of the rail. This is done without any lateral reaction on the rail, due to the engagement of the backup member of the nipper therewith.

As has been noted heretofore, the rocker member provides a particularly efficient contact with the anchor. Due to the construction of this rocker member, little or no cribbing or removing of ballast is necessary for the rocker member to engage the anchor beneath the base flange.

The specific example of the invention as herein shown and described is for illustrative purposes only. Various changes in structure may be made, and it is to be understood that such changes form a part of the present invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for applying rail anchors, the combination comprising a frame, a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame for transporting said machine on a railroad track, rail anchor applicator means, means on said frame for moving said applicator means between lowered anchor applying position and raised traveling position, and guide means on said frame comprising a pair of substantially vertical guide members spaced longitudinally of a rail for guiding said applicator means between raised and lowered position, said applicator means having guide means cooperable with and movable away from the guide members of the guide means on said frame, said applicator means comprising a pair of like rail anchor positioning members spaced longitudinally of a rail to embrace a tie with said applicator means in lowered position, power means acting between said anchor positioning members to move said members toward one another and respectively away from said guide means and thereby to press prepositioned rail anchors against the opposite sides of a tie, said applicator means further having presser means engageable with prepositioned rail anchors and movable transversely of a rail to force said anchors into installed position.

2. In a machine for applying rail anchors, the combination comprising a frame, a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame for transporting said machine on a railroad track, rail anchor applicator means, means on said frame for vertically moving said applicator means between lowered anchor applying position and raised traveling position, and guide means on said frame spaced longitudinally of a rail and vertically disposed for guiding said applicator means between raised and lowered position, said applicator means having guide means cooperable with and movable away from the guide means on said frame, said applicator means comprising a pair of like rail anchor positioning members spaced longitudinally of a rail to embrace a tie with said applicator means in lowered position, power means connected to and acting directly between said anchor positioning members to move said members toward one another and thereby to press prepositioned rail rail anchors against the opposite sides of a tie, said applicator means further having presser means engageable with prepositioned rail anchors and movable transversely of a rail to force said anchors into installed position.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein one of the guide means is concave and the other guide means is convex and complementary to the concave guide means, said guide means being away from one another in the concave direction.

'4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the guide means on the frame are concave and confront each other in spaced apart relation and wherein the guide means on the applicator means are convex and comple mentary to the guide means on the frame.

5. In a machine for applying rail anchors, the combination comprising a frame, a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame for transporting said machine on a railroad track, rail anchor applicator means, flexible suspension means on said frame for moving said applicator means between lowered anchor applying position and raised traveling position, and guide means on said frame spaced longitudinally of a rail for guiding said applicator means between raised and lowered position, said applicator means having guide means cooperable with the guide means on said frame and movable away therefrom longitudinally of a rail, said applicator means comprising a pair of like rail anchor positioning members spaced longitudinally of a rail to embrace a tie with said applicator means in lowered position, power means acting directly on and between said anchor positioning members to move said members toward one another without reaction on said frame and thereby to press prepositioned rail anchors against the opposite sides of a tie, said applicator means further having presser means engageable with prepositioned rail anchors and movable transversely of a rail to force said anchors into installed position.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 and further including individual flexible suspension means for each of said anchor positioning members joined to a common flexible suspension member.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein the power means comprises a piston and cylinder acting between said anchor positioning members, and further including guide means spaced vertically from said piston and cylinder and coacting between said members to maintain said members in alignment upon relative movement thereof toward and away from one another.

-8. In a machine for applying rail anchors, the combination comprising a frame, a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame for transporting said machine on a railroad track, rail anchor applicator means, means on said frame for moving said applicator means between lowered anchor applying position and raised traveling position, and guide means on said frame spaced longitudinally of a rail for vertically guiding said applicator means between raised and lowered position, said applicator means having guide means cooperable with the guide means on said frame for guiding said applicator means vertically, said applicator means comprising a pair of like rail anchor positioning members spaced longitudinally of a rail to embrace a tie with said appli- References Cited by the Examiner oator means in lowered position, power means acting between said anchor positioning members, said frame and UNITED STATES PATENTS applicator means guide means permitting said members 2,925,048 2/ 1960 McWilliams et a1 10417 {9 z ff i q thefejizy 81 N 2 P iP 5 2,926,616 3/1960 Talboys 104 s 1one ra1 anc ors agains e opposr e s1 es 0 a re.

9. The combination set forth in claim '8 and further 7/1963 Swanson 1042 including a pair of rocker members respectively pivotally 3,117,530 1/1964 M111 104 '2 mounted at the bottom portion of said anchor position- 3,117,531 1/ 1964 Miller 1042 ing members, each of said rocker members having a part 10 engagea'ble with a rail base flange from above upon loW- ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. ering of said applicator means to pivot said rocker member, each rocker member having a part moved beneath LEO QUACKENBUSH, Exammer' the rail base flange by such pivoting, and an overcenter J HILL A BERTSCH Assistant Examiners. spring mechanism acting on each rocker member. 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR APPLYING RAILS ANCHORS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A FRAME, A PLURALITY OF WHEELS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR TRANSPORTING SAID MACHINE ON A RAILROAD TRACK, RAIL ANCHOR APPLICATOR MEANS, MEANS ON SAID FRAME FOR MOVING SAID APPLICATOR MEANS BETWEEN LOWERED ANCHOR APPLYING POSITION AND RAISED TRAVELING POSITION, AND GUIDE MEANS ON SAID FRAME COMPRISING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL GUIDE MEMBERS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY OF A RAIL FOR GUIDING SAID APPLICATOR MEANS BETWEEN RAISED AND LOWERED POSITION, SAID APPLICATOR MEANS HAVING GUIDE MEANS COOPERABLE WITH AND MOVABLE AWAY FROM THE GUIDE MEMBERS OF THE GUIDE MEANS ON SAID FRAME, SAID APPLICATOR MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF LIKE RAIL ANCHOR POSITIONING MEMBERS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY OF A RAIL TO EMBRACE A TIE WITH SAID APPLICATOR MEANS IN LOWERED POSITION, POWER MEANS ACTING BETWEEN SAID ANCHOR POSITIONING MEMBERS TO MOVE SAID MEMBERS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND RESPECTIVELY AWAY FROM SAID GUIDE MEANS AND THEREBY TO PRESS PREPOSITIONED RAIL ANCHORS AGAINST THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF A TIE, SAID APPLICATOR MEANS FURTHER HAVING PRESSER MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH PREPOSITIONED RAIL ANCHORS AND MOVABLE TRANSVERSELY OF A RAIL TO FORCE SAID ANCHORS INTO INSTALLED POSITION. 